History records that all industrial, technological and scientific revolutions have consistently had such humble beginnings. The Biafrans were clearly on the verge of such revolutions. It was only unfortunate that historical forces aligned themselves against Biafra's favor. fourty two years since the war ended, Nigeria has achieved nothing in the field of technology that one can compare to Biafran inventions. The world would never know how the positive fallouts of such revolutions in Biafra would have impacted on the human race. Lasers, radar, nuclear power technology, rocket science, penicillin, etc., are all products of World War II. Today, lasers have found applications in many scientific and technological activities, ranging from intricate surgical operations, to sophisticated guidance systems for missiles and automatic airplane flights and submarines. The radar has revolutionized air travels, making possible commercial and military transport airplanes. Nuclear power now provides electricity for many residential and industrial uses, besides their original use as cataclysmic agents of total destruction. Rocket science today has developed to such an extent that it is now a routine practice to send space probes to the outer fringes of the cosmos, and spaceships to the moon; and possible trips to mars in the future are now on the drawing boards. Penicillin and other antibiotics are now the conventional weapons of war against microbes that must attack humans and livestock to survive. These technological marvels that are now commonplace materials to our post- World War II era clearly illustrate the type of metamorphosis the so-called crude artifacts of inventions and innovations that were engendered by the historical realities of the war era have undergone. They also illustrate the potential of human ingenuity when properly mobilized and channeled. This was the case during the Biafran episode, and most likely would have been the case in an independent and sovereign Biafra.

No one is disputing the fact that these marvelous materials and advances in modern science and technology would not have been invented in the long run, were it not for the occasion of the two wars: World War II and Biafran war. And no one is also implying that wars are necessary so as to bring out the best in human creative potential. Definitely, most, if not all of the above materials would invariably have been invented, but at a much slower pace. The challenge of every nation worth its salt is to find a way to harness the creative energies and potentials of its citizenry -- a challenge our Biafran nation would have so ably met.

I have no doubt in my mind that had Biafra been able to withstand the forces of darkness that were unleashed against it, it would no doubt have taken its rightful place in the community of highly industrialized and technologically advanced nations in the world today. The revolutions currently taking place in the basic sciences, ranging from understanding the nature of the fundamental particles that make up matter, to the human genome project, to the sending of space probes to investigate the outer fringes of the galaxies, to the making of advanced and intelligent plastics and electronics, etc., would clearly not have passed us by, in the manner that these and all pertinent technological advances have clearly passed by the entity called Nigeria.

I look all over Nigeria, and all I see is despair and wastage of human potential and natural resources. Is there any wonder that some of those once comrade-in-arms that fought against those 'restless' Biafrans have now turned against one another? What a twist of irony!

I ask myself, if Nigeria must crumble like a giant on a feet of clay, as she must, should we as Igbo people and as Biafrans, also crumble? My answer is an emphatic no! This answer is informed by the potential I see in the infinite resilience of Igbo people to improve their collective lots along the lines of the basic tenets of the ideals of Biafra and their traditional democratic political systems. Although we do not have a politically sovereign Biafra, at least for the time being, we must press forward by all possible means, with actualizing the noble ideals of Biafra. There is something noble in developing science and technology in Igboland, and by extension, building on the inventions and innovations of the Biafran scientists and Engineers that were attached to the Biafran Research and Production (RAP) unit. There is something noble in unifying all Igbo-speaking peoples from one corner of Igboland to the other. There is something noble in building engines of economic growth in Igboland. There is something noble in creating a more culturally progressive Igboland, where all people are accorded equal status and worth, regardless of gender and faith. There is something noble in resolving once and for all time, the Osu problem in Igboland. There is something noble in reforming education in Igboland, and bringing its standard to the level of the era that produced the likes of Chinua Achebe, Godian Ezekwe, Christopher Okigbo and Flora Nwapa. There is something noble in updating Igbo language to reflect the realities of the modern era. There is something noble in providing modern healthcare to all people in Igboland. There is something noble in controlling population explosion in Igboland. There is something noble in reinvigorating the spirit of community development and private initiative in Igboland. And there is something noble in protecting the lives and safeguarding the property of our people wherever they choose to live. Should we be able to accomplish the above tasks, our people who gave up their lives in order that we might have our Biafra, would not have died in vain. And therein lies the promise that was and still is Biafra.

Well, I guess this info is good. By now everyone already knows about the former rep. of Biafra and its achievements. But sometimes less is better (as in the post by the author).

chukwuawka:

I ask myself, if Nigeria must crumble like a giant on a feet of clay, as she must, should we as Igbo people and as Biafrans, also crumble? My answer is an emphatic no! This answer is informed by the potential I see in the infinite resilience of Igbo people to improve their collective lots along the lines of the basic tenets of the ideals of Biafra and their traditional democratic political systems. Although we do not have a politically sovereign Biafra, at least for the time being, we must press forward by all possible means, with actualizing the noble ideals of Biafra. There is something noble in developing science and technology in Igboland, and by extension, building on the inventions and innovations of the Biafran scientists and Engineers that were attached to the Biafran Research and Production (RAP) unit. There is something noble in unifying all Igbo-speaking peoples from one corner of Igboland to the other. There is something noble in building engines of economic growth in Igboland. There is something noble in creating a more culturally progressive Igboland, where all people are accorded equal status and worth, regardless of gender and faith. There is something noble in resolving once and for all time, the Osu problem in Igboland. There is something noble in reforming education in Igboland, and bringing its standard to the level of the era that produced the likes of Chinua Achebe, Godian Ezekwe, Christopher Okigbo and Flora Nwapa. There is something noble in updating Igbo language to reflect the realities of the modern era. There is something noble in providing modern healthcare to all people in Igboland. There is something noble in controlling population explosion in Igboland. There is something noble in reinvigorating the spirit of community development and private initiative in Igboland. And there is something noble in protecting the lives and safeguarding the property of our people wherever they choose to live. Should we be able to accomplish the above tasks, our people who gave up their lives in order that we might have our Biafra, would not have died in vain. And therein lies the promise that was and still is Biafra.

Chukwuawka ,the  particular piece quoted above, if they are your ideas, they qaulify you to enter the pantheon of the greatest philosophers. If they are yours, then you have a task at hand. Enshrining the Biafra of the mind in tablets that Ndigbo of today may have as a guiding light to attaining the Biafra of the mind even if Biafra of territory is yet unattained. You owe this duty to Ndigbo as one of the philosopher-successors to the  Odumegwu Ojukwus, the Azikiwes, the Achebes, the Christopher Okigbos , crafters of the Ahiara declaration and other Igbo philosophers. This is a sine qua non to the survival of the Igbo race beside economical, military and technological might.  If they are not yours, the responsibility goes to whomever the author is.

We need our Descarteses, our Aristotles and Socrateses as much as we need our Napoleons and Alexanders, Our Newtons and Einsteins, our William Gates and  Carnegies as well as our Mandelas,Ghandis, Churchills and Washintons. Thanks a lot and keep posting please.
.

Chukwu Emeka nwannem. i have been following this post in fact i am speechless you are wonderful.

where is Eze onlytruth plz you need to come across this post and encourage this our new Ikemba ojukwu in making.

bro keep it up and keep posting may God add more knowledge to your knowledge . it is well with us Ndigbo.Biafra my Nation i love you

buhahaha. i laff oh.

BIAFRA,the land of the rising sun,shall arise come 2015.

Bravo brother

The land of the Rising Sun,
REPUBLIC OF BIAFRA.

Pls lets move on.
40 years after these killings still continue

Just seeing the thread for the first time. Nice work brother! If it's possible can you add links and pictures? Thanks

John De St. Jorre reported the words of a French deputy who visited Biafra during that war told the world on the bravery of Ndigbo against insurmountable odds. The man confessed, “Before I came to Biafra, I heard that Biafrans fought like heroes, but after my visit to Biafra, I can tell you that Heroes fight like Biafrans.

In the early 1970s, shortly after the Nigeria-Biafra war, Professor Augustine Njoku-Obi, a Microbiologist at UNN and one of the brains of Biafra's Research and Production (RAP) had sought global recognition for one of RAP's productions - his cholera vaccine. It was a breakthrough in the field. But the first step towards this was to send a sample of the vaccine to the World Health Organization (WHO) through the channel of Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Health (FMH), Lagos, which he did.

The WHO came back with the result to say the vaccine was rubbish! Prof. Njoku-Obi asked WHO to send him a sample of what they tested and they did. When he tested it at UNN's lab he found out that the Nigerian authorities had added "nsi" (human excrement) to the sample sent to WHO!!!!!!

Nigeria Is A Failed state AND it will continue to be . Britain and russia and Nigeria Fought Biafra For three years , what a strong Nation with strong people.

For the Igbos, just like the Jews in the Nazi era, the war threatened their physical existence and although a certain level of prosperity appears to be returning after many years of neglect and devastation, the debilitating effects of the war still haunt them everywhere. The Igbos still have to contend with sporadic riots in which they are always the victims even when the clash is between other ethnic groups. They are still hunted and victimised in the one Nigeria they were forced to join. In the 11 violent riots recorded between 1980 and 1999, all occurred in the same Northern Nigeria where the Igbos met their waterloo in the pogroms of 1966

9ja_I_hail:

Chukwu Emeka nwannem. i have been following this post in fact i am speechless you are wonderful.

where is Eze onlytruth plz you need to come across this post and encourage this our new Ikemba ojukwu in making.

bro keep it up and keep posting may God add more knowledge to your knowledge . it is well with us Ndigbo.Biafra my Nation i love you

There is a little piece of "Ikemba" in every responsible Eastern Nigerian. All you need is to scracth the surface a little and there it is!

Well, I personally believe that we Ndigbo must FIRST acknowledge that we have deviated seriously CULTURALLY. How did we do that?
We copied the cultures of the groups that defeated us in the war. The war dealt us a SEVERE blow, and has led to a situation where our people started adopting strange ways of life.
Before the war, a rich Igbo man was HARDLY known. That is why no one really knew how rich Sir Lious Odumegwu Ojukwu (Ikemba's father) was. Yes they knew he had money, but they never really knew how much. The Igbo of those days never worshipped anyone with money. The men we respected (not worshipped!) were HONEST and DECENT men.
We ran thieves and dubious men out of town! ALL OF THEM. 

One of my uncles become the leader of one very important Igbo organization (won't mention name) even though he was virtually a poor man without a secondary school level education. In that organization, there were all types of rich men and Ph.ds and other professionals; but guess what, they all chose an HONEST man. Today that would be almost impossible!

Today, we praise men and call it "iti mkpu" or "Oti mkpu" (praise singer). We never had that in Igboland. Please you all should bear with me and follow me here, because I'm going somewhere with this "preaching".

Now, before, an average Igboman knew that the ONLY way to greatness are HONESTY and HARDWORK. That is how we produced the Achebes and all the great men of Eastern Nigeria. Today, most of us believe in short cuts. Do you know the type of hardwork that produce masterpieces, be they works of art or scientific invention?
I lament, because we the youths of Igboland have abandoned the ways which our fathers followed, which made them great. That is why we have MASSOB, but they cannot do anything other than allowing themselves to be killed willy nilly by trigger happy Nigerian policemen and army. Do you all think that our fathers of the 50s and 60s would tolerate a permanent police seige of Igboland without doing something about it? How do you all think our fathers were able to withstand the civil war for almost 3 years? Is it by "iti mkpu"? I'm laughing! 

So, here me loud and clear:

NDIGBO MUST REJECT SELF AGGRANDIZEMENT ASAP! 

Today, our problem in Igboland are the Chiefs, Ph.ds, Doctors, Engineers, Lawyers and all types of titles which shield men from showing their individual achievements or prove their integrity before they are given positions of responsibility and leadership. This has to end before anyone takes us serious in Nigeria.

Recalling our achievement during the war is important, but what is more important is for us to honestly drop everything that would make it impossible for us to answer the call of defending ourselves and our children if need be. Self aggrandizement is a cancer that must be cut out of our land. TODAY!

In spite of everything, have we not beaten them in every field where the Federal political tanks could not be effectively deployed to ease the way for them? We have. And we will continue to beat them. In spite of all the devilish intrigues and maneuvers that have been strung up and elaborately plotted out in the attempt to determine who owns what is Abuja, Igbo still own eighty percent of the hotels in that land of the Gwari. Choice properties that spew out billions of naira in revenue every year. Ironically, it is this kind of success that have contributed to make us the most hated and the most feared people in Nigeria.



The story is the same in most cities and towns where the Igbo have settled in Nigeria. And even in the smallest hamlets. An Igbo man would quietly arrive in a dusty village in a remote corner of, say Kano State. With little or no trading capital, he would settle with a brother or a friend in a one-room shack and start looking around, studying his new place of abode for opportunities, for needs he would fill in exchange for economic empowerment. For years, while the sons of the soil regale themselves on burukutu and roam around the community with their calabash dance troupes, the Igbo man works from down till dusk, saving most of his earnings and eating very little. Before the lazy owners of the land realize what is happening, the Igbo man has taken over a vital economic sector of the community. The next thing you see, jealousy has moved in, followed by hatred. Soon, the home boys would start devising one excuse or the other to trigger off a riot that would provide an opportunity to break into the Igbo man's shop and either cart away his goods or have them burnt. This scenario often plays out in Lagos between law-abiding Igbo traders and useless Yoruba Area Boys. It is those things that make us what we are that other Nigerians hate about us. But we will continue to be what we are, Igbo:  intelligent, ambitious, energetic and hardworking-with no apology to anybody.

Bullsh!t!!

When you have almost 3 million stranded Igbo parasites in Kano . Hissssssssss!

Technologically, General Odumegwu-Ojukwu's Biafra of 1969 was light years ahead of  Nigeria of 2012. Ndiigbo are the only people in Nigeria who can, with some justifications claim to be the equals of any white race as far as intelligence is concerned. We proved it in Biafra with so many technological breakthroughs. And we are still justifying such claims with people like our own Dr. Philip Emeagwali. Odumegwu-Ojukwu and Igbo scientists achieved Biafra's technological feats in less than three years of separate development of Igbo people (July 1967-January, 1970). Given another fifty years,  cronies of Igbo haters will still be talking of consolidating Nigeria's "nascent" democracy. . For God's sake, why don't we forget these people? They are pulling us down. Let's forget them and chart our own course. We can live with their hatred. Marginalisation should not be the kind of issue that would be bothering us now.

Ndiigbo can develop their homeland. Whatever else they have denied us, we still retain full control of the five south Eastern states. The five Igbo state governments could integrate the economies of these five states into a kind of Economic Union of Eastern Nigeria, with one central Planning/Management committee. Without Federal assistance, we can still turn this zone into the South Korea of Africa, in terms of economic and technological developments. We can do it. As individual states, we can not achieve much, but if we integrate the economies of our five states, we will be bigger and stronger than many wealthy nations of Europe and the far East. Most of those wealthy nations don't have oil so let's not bring oil into it. What they needed for their economic take off, and got, were great leaders. The combined resources of our five states, human and material, could take us to wherever we want to go. If only we know where we want to go. IF only we had leaders who know what to do with what we have. Our major problem, therefore is not maginalisation, but a failure of leadership. We need men who can take a leap of the imagination and initiate positive actions and programs that would bring Ndiigbo out of our present predicament. Right now Igbo are wandering, un-led and unguided, through the vast dangerous expanse of Nigeria wilderness. IF not so, how can we talk of 50 million hardworking, highly intelligent people being marginalised in a third world country like Nigeria. Ndiigbo are bigger than marginalisation.

@Rhino.4dm or whachamigonnacalluyou,
Iam not here to trade banters with the likes of, thanks,

Can the Federal government stop the five Igbo governors and governments from mobilizing Igbo scientist, entrepreneurs and technologists in a joint private sector/government initiative aimed at transforming our zone from its present state of underdevelopment to second world economy within ten years? Many of these Igbo scientists are presently scattered all over the world, working in the highest technological centers abroad. We could bring them home to work in a big, well-funded Research and Development Center which could be created for the research products and processes that would feed giant industrial complexes the five Igbo state governments, working in partnership with millionaire Igbo businessmen and traders, should establish in Igbo land. The businessmen and the traders should provide most of the capital, which would, of course, give them controlling shares in the establishments. This would be desirable. The proposed Economic Union could also pull the financial resources of our five states in an integrated economy and fully develop the natural resources of each of the five states. This could take the form of vast, well-managed plantations and farm projects. The natural resources include palm oil, palm kernel, rice, fish, plantain, cassava, maize , yam,oil,coal and gas.These resources, if fully developed, could put our geo-political zone on the road to economic take-off within a few years. Why don't we think along these lines instead of worrying about distractors and marginalizaton?

Nigeria is a net brain drain country which is yet to realise that until its squabbling politicians wake up to the fact that they live in a global village where every serious nation attracts the best of brains from every corner of the world and keep them; until they realise that they must begin to explore a “Nigeria without oil” and strenuously begin to focus on educating the young generation and equipping them with the necessary scientific backgrounds to enable them compete globally, Nigeria, which is currently over 200 years behind the developed countries will continue to lag behind, continue to slip into perpetual global irrelevance.

@chukwuawka

It seems you are new here. Welcome my brother.

You seem to be saying what every Igbo has been saying here since I joined Nairaland about 3 years ago. I have personally concluded that we don't need to be saying all these here because it doesn't add anything to our position or empower us in any meaningful way. What I have been doing, and have been advising our people here to do, is to TELL OURSELVES THE TRUTH about how we became so impotent in the Nigerian power game. I hope you understand that our situation can never change until we garner enough political power (whether inside or outside Nigeria).

What breaks my heart is that Ndigbo (MASSOB specifically) are being gunned down steadily in Igboland. This is a sign that something is SERIOUSLY wrong with Ndigbo today.
Mind you that MASSOB is a non-violent organization, yet they are being killed carelessly without anyone raising any voice. For that to be happening, one of two conditions must be in place. Either Ndigbo have become so goofy and foolish to allow an organization like MASSOB to become our face in Nigeria -a face that is used as a punch bag; or our people have since sold out our collective dreams and aspirations.

You cannot make scientitic inventions in a land of siege; neither can you write great works of literature.

We can beat our chests from now till the end of time about how we own half of Nigeria, but if an Afemai minority is able to pick up a phone and call his custom's officer brother to help me, an Igbo, clear my goods from the ports (because there are no Igbo there for instance, or the Igbo there is busy playing the ostrich like Anyim Pius Anyim is doing over our airports and roads), then, we need to stop beating our chests and start looking more carefully at ourselves. That is the point I'm making.

I would also let you know that I am not in a hurry to cede Eastern Nigeria (SE and SS) for the sake of pride. I know  that SE can make it alone, but I also know that we don't need to.
So, let us start being mature about our needs in Nigeria. In one of the threads here I shared a proverb from Shaka Zulu:" A leopard is a strong animal, but if he is offered wings, he would be a fool to reject them".

Let us keep our focus on our REAL problems, which is powerlessness and abuse in the Nigerian crucible, than blow our trumpets unnecessarily.  

Stick to your egocentric, self acclaimed scientific bullsh!ting developments and leave rhino out. God forbid  me quoting any of the rubbish you posted. Learn to skip my post next time. Hissssssss!

chukwuawka:

@Rhino.4dm or whachamigonnacalluyou,
Iam not here to trade banters with the likes of, thanks,

@Onlytruth.
Fifty one years after the independence Will the sun ever rise again in the LAND OF THE RISING SUN (BIAFRA)? Well I think, there is an iota of hope in Ifeanyi Anyanwu’s word: "If tomorrow ever comes, the sun must rise as it did today." I have learnt over the years not to weep about yesterday because what happened yesterday was meant to be reaped today, and whatever that happens today shall determine the fate of tomorrow. Our forefathers fought for us and not for themselves. Unfortunately, they failed as it was PREDESTINED. Today we are reaping the consequences. But shall we sit back and watch our children go through this pain? That is where I disagree. We have to stand and correct the wrongs of yesterday now, so that our children shall see the sun rise very bright tomorrow.

It is on this background that I have decided to put pen on paper, expressing my own view as one and only way forward for the Igbo. I enjoin you to reason with me because it is not a fiction but a reality. Biafra is one word that is still a mystery to most of us who were born after the civil war. Even the true meaning cannot be deciphered. I am not after the Biafra anyway; but, if any body can tell me what it means, that will be fine. I am after the reason why the Nigeria-Biafra War was fought between 1967 – 1970, and also why the Igbo are still in pain and anguish anytime there is a riot in Nigeria ,51years after the independence and 41 years after the war.

It is even clear how 42 years after the war, there are strong calls for the re-instatement of the Republic of Biafra by MASSOB and even most of you out there. We are aware that change does not come so suddenly; it takes time and some meticulous planning. Today I can authoritatively say that that change is taking place as you are reading this article. But very slowly and steadily. When HE shall be revealed, the world will be flabbergasted how the rejected tribe has turned out to be the chosen one.

Haven said this far, let us see how the Igbo have fulfilled their period of 52. In the first years after independence there was no rest. From the election fever to the first coup d’état, to another counter coupe; then the pogrom in 1966 which eventually lead to the civil war in 1967 – 1970 A.D. Then peace returned but not to the “woman” who is to produce the “Messiah.” i.e. the tribe from, which the messiah is expected (This calls for wisdom). After then, the Igbo are not just being marginalized but have been living in shadow of hatred and prejudice. The case of bokoharam killings and looting in Kaduna,Kano,maiduguri,jos,mandalla are typical example of hatred and despise meted upon the Igbo by those who live with them. Dan Chikwe says it all in his book “Agonies of marginalized people" p18. “I could notice the suffering of the Igbo as a result of their being marginalized in the country occasioning victimization, discrimination, deprivation, frustration, improved aggression and wanton destruction of lives and properties mated out to the Igbos in the geographical entity called Nigeria.”

chukwuawka:

@Onlytruth.
Fifty one years after the independence Will the sun ever rise again in the LAND OF THE RISING SUN (BIAFRA)? Well I think, there is an iota of hope in Ifeanyi Anyanwu’s word: "If tomorrow ever comes, the sun must rise as it did today." I have learnt over the years not to weep about yesterday because what happened yesterday was meant to be reaped today, and whatever that happens today shall determine the fate of tomorrow. Our forefathers fought for us and not for themselves. Unfortunately, they failed as it was PREDESTINED. Today we are reaping the consequences. But shall we sit back and watch our children go through this pain? That is where I disagree. We have to stand and correct the wrongs of yesterday now, so that our children shall see the sun rise very bright tomorrow.

On the contrary, that is where we both AGREE (not disagree) -something must be done today to secure the future for our children; but the question is WHO will do this?
Is it our people who formed a group like MASSOB, a tootthless bulldog organization whose only strategy is to offer its members' necks for the slaughter-man? I don't know whether I'm the only Igbo man who sees the psychological damage of the killing of MASSOB on Igbo youths. I have since lost count how many of our youths which have been gunned down for being MASSOB. Yet, they continue in their ways. Now, the police occupiers of Igboland have extended their crime to non-MASSOB members of our communities, shooting them without any fear of repercusions.

Personally, I think that MASSOB should be disbanded if it cannot defend itself against agents of mass murder; at least we would know that we are not yet ready to push for our needs. MASSOB's continued existence is a type of obstacle to the emergence of more realistic groups which can take this fight head-on, achieve CONCRETE results for us, and save what is left of our courage as a people. Much as I believe in destiny to a certain level, I also believe that MEN shape their destinies. It is never automatic.

If our people are more interested in playing the ostrich, our "destiny" will never change.

Here I stand.